What does Attorney General mean in British?

Asked by: Maynard Harvey  |  Last update: May 14, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (19 votes)

The Attorney General is chief legal adviser to the Crown and has a number of independent public interest functions, as well as overseeing the Law Officers' departments.

What is an Attorney General in the UK?

The Attorney General is: • the chief legal adviser to the Crown (the. state); • a Minister of the Crown with a legal duty. to superintend the Director of Public.

What is the UK equivalent of the US Attorney General?

Attorney General for England and Wales. His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is the chief legal adviser to the sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales as well as the highest ranking amongst the law officers of the Crown.

What is the difference between Attorney General and Solicitor General in the UK?

The Solicitor General supports the Attorney across a range of responsibilities. This includes: Responsibility for matters delegated by the Attorney General, including deputising for the Attorney at the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Cabinet Committee.

What is the UK version of a lawyer?

A solicitor is a qualified legal professional who provides specialist legal advice on different areas of law and is responsible for representing and defending a client's legal interest.

What does attorney general mean?

24 related questions found

What do British call lawyers?

barrister, one of the two types of practicing lawyers in England and Wales, the other being the solicitor. In general, barristers engage in advocacy (trial work) and solicitors in office work, but there is a considerable overlap in their functions.

What is the British word of attorney?

Solicitor is the British English term for a lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares documents, for example when you are buying a house, and sometimes has the right to speak in a court of law.

Why is it called attorney general?

The term was originally used to refer to any person who holds a general power of attorney to represent a principal in all matters. In the common law tradition, anyone who represents the state, especially in criminal prosecutions, is such an attorney.

What are the titles of the two Law Officers in Scotland?

The Law Officers for Scotland are:
  • the Lord Advocate (the principal legal adviser and chief public prosecutor)
  • the Solicitor General (the Lord Advocate's deputy)

Is Solicitor General higher than attorney general?

The Solicitor General is of course an Executive Branch officer, reporting to the Attorney General, and ultimately to the President, in whom our Constitution vests all of the Executive power of the United States.

What is the American equivalent of a British solicitor?

For example, in the United States, attorneys are generally considered to encompass both those who engage in courtroom advocacy (similar to barristers) and those who handle legal matters outside of court (similar to solicitors).

Who is the head of law in the UK?

Current role holder

Richard Hermer was appointed Attorney General on 5 July 2024. Richard Hermer KC was called to the Bar in 1993 and he took silk in 2009. He was previously Head of Chambers at Matrix and has served as a Deputy High Court Judge.

Who is more powerful US attorney or Attorney General?

United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States of America.

Who is the equivalent of the US Attorney General in the UK?

There are three UK government law officers: the attorney general, the solicitor general and the advocate general. Lord Hermer KC is the attorney general, Lucy Rigby MP is the solicitor general and Baroness Smith KC is the advocate general for Scotland.

What is taking silk in British law?

Answer and Explanation: A Silk in the British legal system is a lawyer or barrister of high rank appointed by the queen or king to honorific title recognized by the court system to work in the name of the monarchy. The term originates from the silk garment worn by the person that assumes this position.

How many attorney generals are there in the USA?

All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have an attorney general who serves as the chief legal officer in their jurisdiction, counsels its government agencies and legislatures, and is a representative of the public ...

What are cops called in Scotland?

polis: police; 'Put the equipment away Angus, you are a policeman, not a superhero. ' The Scottish Word: polis with its definition and its meaning illustrated and captioned with the word used in context in the Scots language and in English.

What is a Scottish barrister called?

Advocates in Scotland (sometimes known as counsel) perform similar roles as barristers in England and Wales but undertake a rather different training process.

Who is the highest law officer in the UK?

The Attorney General for England and Wales, a member of the UK Government, is similarly the chief law officer of the Crown in England and Wales and advises and represents the Crown and government departments in court.

Why do they say attorneys general?

With “Attorney General,” general modifies the noun attorney. Thus, when there is more than one Attorney General, you would write “Attorneys General.” This makes sense. You make the noun plural by adding an “s” to it.

How high ranking is the attorney general?

The Attorney General is also a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States and a member of the United States National Security Council. Additionally, the Attorney General is seventh in the presidential line of succession.

Who was the attorney general under Trump?

William Pelham Barr (born May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as United States attorney general in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993 and again in the administration of President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2020.

What is British slang for attorney?

BARRISTER - 33 Synonyms and Antonyms - Cambridge English.

What do British people call lawyers?

The term lawyer is a generic term used to describe anyone who is a Licensed Legal Practitioner qualified to give legal advice in one or more areas of law. A solicitor and a barrister could both be considered a 'lawyer' in the UK.

Is power of attorney different in Scotland and England?

An English Power of Attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian in England and Wales. While a Scottish PoA is legally valid in Scotland, whether it can be used in England or Wales is something of a grey area.